5 things to consider when designing your home

The word ‘forever’ seems rather a frightening word in this day and age.

This idea of, and need for, immediate gratification rids us of the old-school ‘save up’ mentality. We live in a world where it’s cheaper to purchase brand new appliances than to fix your old ones. A world where you can change your doona cover as frequently as you change your underwear, because – let’s face it – they’re cheap and we like change.

But where did the romance go? The desire to hold onto something? God forbid for long enough to pass it down to generations? Perhaps it’s not too late to rid yourself of temporary fixes and instead build a home that’s so right in every way that you never want to move on.

So, if you’re building from scratch or modifying something existing, here are a handful of tips to encourage that love at first sight kind of feeling.

Have foresight and think about what you need now – and in 20 years time. Picture: Getty

1. Have foresight

If you have the luxury of starting out fresh with a new build, foresight is everything. Regardless of your age, think about your current needs, in a decade and even 20 years from now. The more flexibility you can build in from the beginning, the better.

It’s all about thinking ahead. Younger couples and families may want to consider a downstairs guest bedroom that perhaps either they or their parents may move into if they want to eliminate climbing up and down stairs.

Or perhaps your study can double up as a guest room. So, rather than creating two small, pokey rooms, make one large room and create a sliding door feature to separate them.

2. Be generous

Again, this tip’s more if you’re building from scratch. If you have the opportunity, plan for 1.2m+ corridor widths to make spaces in between rooms feel luxurious and spacious while accommodating for strollers and wheelchairs when and if they’re needed.

Prioritising natural light in your home is so important. Picture: Jeremiah Wolf

3. Where are your elements?

Earth, wind and fire… they make all the difference in making the most of your interior, so don’t succumb to tradition.

Just because there’s an empty space next to the kitchen and you consider it the perfect nook for your dining table, it doesn’t mean that’s where the sucker should go.

If this particular space is more light filled, closer to the garden or a balcony – or just feels better – then reconsider making it a place where you spend most of your time. Move the sedentary, one-trick pony piece of furniture to another corner and settle your lounge in.

4. That ‘forever’ piece (yes, you need one!)

I’ve always wanted my own mid-century classic by Eero Saarinen called the ‘Womb chair’. Eleven years on, I purchased my very own. Despite its hideous price tag, I smile every time I nestle in its oversized arms.

And when I stroke its deep wine mohair glory, I know my kids will appreciate it [hopefully] as much as I do, and their kids and their kids, and so on. It’s worth investing in those family heirlooms; they never depreciate, they age so gracefully and their incredible craftsmanship means you buy once, not five times.

5. Trends – just don’t go there

Trends are by definition things that develop or change quickly. So why follow them when it comes to designing timeless spaces?

Now, inspiration from things you see while flipping through a mag, watching TV or visiting your uber awesome neighbour’s house is inevitable – just don’t go overboard with the wood panelling or avocado bathroom tiles because someone said “the 60s are back”.

A simple, nondescript and timeless palette helps those personal injections pop that much brighter and definitely kills the desire to rip the house apart in two weeks.

At the end of the day, if the design isn’t somehow making you smile – or simplifying the everyday – it’s probably not the right kind of design.

The ultimate aim should be to make permanent the lifestyle you have when you’re on holiday, the exhilaration you get from a luxury hotel, or the warmth and nostalgia of your grandparents’ cottage.

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